Author Archive: Alan Dillon

Mediation -v- Litigation: When do you cross the invisible line?

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Every commercial dispute crosses an invisible line where there is an optimal point for settlement to occur.

The most astute commercial lawyers will be able to identify the point at which that invisible line is about to be crossed. There is no doubt that the invisible line is getting earlier and earlier in the dispute resolution process.

Pre-action protocols mean that legal arguments are articulated and exchanged earlier. Pleadings are formulated, documents and calculations of loss are disclosed earlier, expert evidence is sought, and views of merits are formed. At the same time, much of the commercial damage has already occurred. Costs are more front-loaded and mount quickly, commercial and working relationships have deteriorated, positions quickly become fixed and decisions are being driven as much by optics and momentum as by strategy.Continue reading →

When Process Replaces People: Neurodiversity, burnout, and the conversations that come too late

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There’s a pattern we are seeing more and more in mediation work.

An otherwise capable, conscientious employee begins to struggle. Not because they lack skill or motivation, but because something in the environment no longer fits for them. Communication begins to break down. Pressure builds. Assumptions are made. Then,  instead of having a conversation to explore what is happening, the organisation or the individual reaches for process.

By the time mediation is considered, the person is often already burnt out, absent, or deeply disengaged.

This pattern shows up particularly starkly where neurodivergence is involved.Continue reading →

Should Employees Be Able to Suggest Mediation? Rethinking Resolution in the Modern Workplace

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In many organisations, when tension arises between colleagues or between staff and managers, the default route is well-established: an informal chat, followed by a formal grievance, sometimes progressing to disciplinary action. These systems are policy-driven and legally compliant—but are they actually resolving the issues?

Evidence increasingly suggests they’re not.

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The Retention Risk No One’s Talking About

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In some high-growth sectors like construction, recruitment is relentless—but retention is where the real battle is being won or lost.

For companies expanding rapidly across multiple territories, talent is scarce and demand is fierce. Everyone’s chasing the same high-performing individuals. Salaries are rising, benefits are being tweaked—but despite the effort, employees are still walking out the door.

So what’s going wrong?

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The Unseen Factor: Navigating Psychological Diversity in the Workplace

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When workplace conflict arises, we often look to structures, policies, and performance metrics for explanations. But beneath the surface of most workplace tensions lies something more subtle and far less talked about: psychological diversity.

While organisations are increasingly aware of the importance of neurodiversity and mental health, few have developed the frameworks or fluency to recognise how differences in psychological makeup influence conflict—and even fewer know how to harness this understanding to resolve issues constructively.

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‘Day-One’ Rights Demand ‘Day-One’ Solutions: Is Your Business Ready?

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The Employment Rights Bill looks set to drive forward the Labour government’s ambitious Make Work Pay plan and will to lead to a significant transformation of the employment law landscape. New protections such as unfair dismissal rights from day one (subject to provisions relating to initial probationary periods) and extended family-friendly entitlements will present employers and HR professionals with new challenges and responsibilities — particularly around how conflict is identified, managed, and resolved.Continue reading →

Do High-Performing Consultants Make Great Team Leaders?

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Recruitment Industry:

Do High-Performing Consultants Make Great Team Leaders?

Recruitment businesses thrive on competition. The industry’s very DNA is built around the hustle: consultants fighting for their patch, battling for clients, and pushing for targets. This intensity creates high-performing teams capable of delivering incredible results. But when these same high-performers step into leadership roles, can they translate their competitive edge into effective team management?

Here’s the reality: leadership in recruitment isn’t about hitting targets alone. It’s about fostering a cohesive team, maintaining clear communication, and navigating the inevitable friction that arises in high-stakes environments. In many recruitment businesses, shouting matches and territorial disputes are the norm, but what if the secret to even better performance lay in rethinking how we communicate?Continue reading →

Empathy in Conflict Resolution: Building Bridges Through Understanding

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In our recent Mediation Rescue Webinar with James Osborne of TRN, we explored the pivotal role empathy plays in resolving conflicts effectively—whether in the workplace, personal relationships, or business settings. This blog post dives deeper into one of the key takeaways from that discussion: how empathetic communication can transform conflicts from destructive confrontations to opportunities for mutual understanding.Continue reading →